Sensor package and method for producing a sensor package

Abstract

A sensor package including a metal carrier and a sensor chip arranged on the metal carrier and having a first sensor element. In an orthogonal projection of the sensor chip onto a surface of the metal carrier, at least two edge sections of the sensor chip are free of overlap with the surface of the metal carrier. The sensor chip is designed to detect a magnetic field induced by an electric current flowing through a current conductor.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A sensor package, comprising:
 a metal carrier; and 
 a sensor chip arranged on the metal carrier and having a first sensor element, the sensor chip being configured to detect a magnetic field induced by an electric current flowing through a current conductor, 
 wherein in an orthogonal projection of the sensor chip onto a surface of the metal carrier, at least two edge sections of the sensor chip are free of overlap with a surface of the metal carrier, and 
 wherein the electric current flowing through the current conductor to induce the magnetic field to be detected does not flow through the metal carrier. 
 
     
     
       2. The sensor package of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor chip is a differential sensor chip. 
     
     
       3. The sensor package as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein in an orthogonal projection of the first sensor element onto the surface of the metal carrier, the first sensor element is free of overlap with the surface of the metal carrier. 
     
     
       4. The sensor package as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein in the orthogonal projection of the sensor chip onto the surface of the metal carrier, two edge sections of the sensor chip are free of overlap with the surface of the metal carrier, and
 wherein the two edge sections adjoin one another and form an overlap-free corner of the sensor chip. 
 
     
     
       5. The sensor package as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein the first sensor element is arranged in the overlap-free corner of the sensor chip, and in an orthogonal projection of the first sensor element onto the surface of the metal carrier, the first sensor element is free of overlap with the surface of the metal carrier. 
     
     
       6. The sensor package as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein in the orthogonal projection of the sensor chip onto the surface of the metal carrier, three edge sections of the sensor chip are free of overlap with the surface of the metal carrier,
 wherein a first set of two of the three edge sections adjoin one another and form a first overlap-free corner of the sensor chip, and 
 wherein a second set of two of the three edge sections adjoin one another to form a second overlap-free corner of the sensor chip. 
 
     
     
       7. The sensor package as claimed in  claim 6 ,
 wherein the first sensor element is arranged in a first corner of the sensor chip, and in an orthogonal projection of the first sensor element onto the surface of the metal carrier, the first sensor element is free of overlap with the surface of the metal carrier, and 
 wherein the sensor chip comprises a second sensor element arranged in a second corner of the sensor chip, and in an orthogonal projection of the second sensor element onto the surface of the metal carrier, the second sensor element is free of overlap with the surface of the metal carrier. 
 
     
     
       8. The sensor package as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein in an orthogonal projection of the sensor chip onto the surface of the metal carrier, four or more edge sections of the sensor chip are free of overlap with the surface of the metal carrier. 
     
     
       9. The sensor package as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein in an orthogonal projection of the first sensor element onto the surface of the metal carrier, the first sensor element and the surface of the metal carrier at least partly overlap. 
     
     
       10. The sensor package as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the surface of the metal carrier comprises a partial surface that is spaced apart from an entire edge of the surface of the metal carrier by at least a width of the first sensor element, and in an orthogonal projection of the first sensor element onto the partial surface, the first sensor element is free of overlap with the partial surface. 
     
     
       11. The sensor package as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the current conductor is arranged outside the sensor package. 
     
     
       12. The sensor package as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the current conductor has an opening and the sensor package is arranged at least partly in the opening. 
     
     
       13. The sensor package as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the surface of the metal carrier is arranged substantially perpendicular to the current conductor. 
     
     
       14. The sensor package as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the metal carrier is arranged between the current conductor and the sensor chip. 
     
     
       15. The sensor package as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the sensor package is coreless. 
     
     
       16. The sensor package of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first sensor element is from among a plurality of sensor elements, 
 the sensor chip only includes the plurality of sensor elements, and 
 in an orthogonal projection of each one of the plurality of sensor elements onto the surface of the metal carrier, each one of the plurality of sensor elements is (i) free of overlap with the surface of the metal carrier, and (ii) disposed on a different corner of the sensor chip. 
 
     
     
       17. The sensor package of  claim 1 , wherein in an orthogonal projection of the sensor chip onto the metal carrier, the sensor chip only includes regions that are free of overlap with the surface of the metal carrier having edge sections of at least two different edges of the sensor chip. 
     
     
       18. A method for producing a sensor package, wherein the method comprises:
 providing a metal carrier; and 
 arranging a sensor chip having a sensor element on the metal carrier, the sensor chip being configured to detect a magnetic field induced by an electric current flowing through a current conductor, 
 wherein, in an orthogonal projection of the sensor chip onto a surface of the metal carrier, at least two edge sections of the sensor chip are free of overlap with the surface of the metal carrier, and 
 wherein the act of providing the metal carrier comprises providing the metal carrier such that the electric current flowing through the current conductor to induce the magnetic field to be detected does not flow through the metal carrier. 
 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 arranging the current conductor outside the sensor package, the current conductor having an opening; and 
 arranging the sensor package at least partly in the opening. 
 
     
     
       20. The method as claimed in  claim 18 , wherein the act of arranging the sensor chip is carried out such that, in an orthogonal projection of the sensor element onto the surface of the metal carrier, the sensor element is free of overlap with the surface of the metal carrier.